Monday, November 30, 2015

To kick off the long Thanksgiving weekend Marvel released a ton of Captain America: Civil War goodness upon the world! Not only did we get the epic first trailer for Marvel’s next film, we also go these beautiful new Captain America: Civil War theatrical one sheet teaser movie posters. As if there were any doubt, this film will be all about Captain America vs Iron Man and everyone in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will have to choose sides. But honestly, after Age of Ultron how in the world could anyone side with Tony Stark? Wasn’t he the creator of the android that almost destroyed an entire country!?!

The Captain America franchise has been without a doubt Marvel’s most consistently great, and continues to set the tone for each phase coming after it. Expect huge ramifications to the MCU coming from the Civil War storyline, including the world cinematic debut of the Black Panther (and Spider-Man in the MCU)! Captain America: Civil War is directed by Joe and Anthony Russo and is set to premiere in theaters on May 6th, 2016. The film stars Chris Evans, Robert Downey, Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Emily VanCamp, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Frank Grillo, Daniel Brühl, and William Hurt.

Skelton Crew Studio is teaming up once again with John Layman and Rob Guillory, the creators of the hit Image comic book series CHEW, to release some awesome officially licensed comic collectibles! Exploding from the pages of CHEW comes this fantastic Chog Mini Figure Blind Box Series. With seven different versions of the delectable frog/chicken hybrid included in this series, it’ll be a fricken mystery as to which Chog you’re going to pull!

The CHEW Chog Mini Figure Blind Box Series includes Sold Gold, Blank Do-It-Yourself, Zombie, Hipster, Leopard, Glow in the Dark Orange and a seventh mystery chase variant color. All of the colors have a 1/6 ratio, except for the Solid Gold which has a 1/13 ratio. Each Chog mini figure stands 2.25” tall and retails for $12.99 per blind box. Pre-order yours today at the Skelton Crew Studio online store!

One of The Blot’s all-time favorite films is finally getting the Minimates treatment! Straight from Kevin Smith’s Viewaskew Universe comes this killer new line of Mallrats Minimates mini figures by Diamond Select Toys. Just remember…they're not there to shop, they're not there to work, they're just there! To Celebrate the Mallrats 20th Anniversary, DST is releasing this fantastic Mallrats Minimates Series 1 Box Set, which includes Jay, Silent Bob, Rene and Brodie. Finally, we get Minimates versions of television icons Jason Lee and Shannen Doherty!

Each Mallrats Minimates Series 1 Box Set includes four 2” mini figures featuring 14 points of articulation and a variety of interchangeable parts and accessories. While this set is not expected to hit store shelves until May 2016, you can pre-order it now from Entertainment Earth for $21.99 here.

Sunday, November 29, 2015

On Black Friday 2015, Johnny Cupcakes released a delicious batch of new pop culture inspired t-shirts that included two awesome movie tees! First up is the Alien inspired “Cake Burster”, which just proves even creepy space aliens can’t resist the taste of Johnny Cupcakes! Then there’s the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory inspired “Cupcake Factory”, which will make anyone wearing it feel as if they’d just found the golden ticket.

Both of these Johnny Cupcakes movie inspired t-shirts are currently available in guys and girls styles (sizes S-XXXL) at the Johnny Cupcakes online store for $29.99 each.

It’s been 5 years, but Lacoste has finally produced a follow up to its popular Peanuts 60th Anniversary Polo Collection (seen here)! Released to commemorate the new 3D computer-animated The Peanuts Movie, the Peanuts x Lacoste 2015 Polo Collection is a fun mash-up of the long running comic strip with high end clothing. The entire Peanuts gang is getting in on the act as Lacoste reworks its iconic crocodile logo to incorporate Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy and Linus.

The Peanuts x Lacoste 2015 Polo Collection is currently on sale at the Lacoste online store. Each design is currently available in mens, womens and kids polos and crewneck sweathshirts in a variety of colors and sizes.

The Blot has to hand it to The Hundreds, they never cease to amaze me with their out of left field collaborations! At least The Hundreds’ newest release, the Pepsi T-Shirt Collection, ties-in nicely with their previously released Back to the Future collection. While I’ve never been a Pepsi drinker, you can’t deny their impact on popular culture. So it’s fitting that The Hundreds chose to draw inspiration from the soft drink brand’s iconic advertising – from the ‘40s through the 2000s – for its new Pepsi Collection. There’s even a killer Back to the Future II design!

As Bobby Hundreds explained, part of the reason Pepsi’s had such an impact on our world is the “iconic stars that they [have] incorporated into advertising, their pin-up posters, [and] even on the cans themselves.” Be it Madonna in the ‘80s, Cindy Crawford in the ‘90s, or Britney Spears in the 2000s, Pepsi has consistently photographed pop culture icons who exemplify the decade they’re from. So The Hundreds set out to recreate Pepsi’s advertising campaigns by recreating their most memorable photos with the help of model Denise Schaefer.

The Hundreds x Pepsi T-Shirt Collection is currently available in a variety of colors and sizes at The Hundreds online store for $36 each.

F4D Studios teamed up with artist Jesse Hernandez to release a killer new Urban Aztec Capsule Collection on Black Friday, which included this awesome Star Wars inspired “Urban Aztec Trooper” t-shirt! Does Jesse know how to design a Stormtrooper helmet or what!?! Now you can show off your urban geek pride with this wicked new t-shirt design.

The Star Wars inspired “Urban Aztec Trooper” t-shirt by Jesse Hernandez is currently available in sizes S-XXL, comes printed on a black tee, and can be purchased at the F4D Studios online store for $25.

It’s been a while, but our good friends at Deli Fresh Threads are back with a brand new food inspired t-shirt design! The “Peanut Butter and Jelly” t-shirt was inspired by the classic sandwich that’s been feeding Americans since the early 1900s. When Biggie of Deli Fresh Threads came up with the idea for this t-shirt he wanted a classic and clean look, so he turned to the talented Alex “Friks84” Lopez to help design it. The Blot can’t lie, I’m getting hungry just looking at this “Peanut Butter and Jelly” t-shirt!

The “Peanut Butter and Jelly” t-shirt is currently available in sizes S-3XL, comes printed on a black tee, and can be purchased at the Deli Fresh Threads online store for $25.

To celebrate Black Friday 2015, Spoke Art Gallery has released the newest design in Tim Doyle’s ongoing UnReal Estate screen print series with a special timed edition! If you’re not familiar with Doyle’s UnReal Estate series, it is a series of screen prints in which Tim depicts iconic fictional locations from popular culture in his unique illustrative style. Doyle’s newest poster is this Empire Strikes Back inspired design entitled “Found Someone You Have”, based on Yoda’s hut on Dagobah. Tim even through in Star Wars’ most popular astromech droid, R2-D2! This is definitely one of the coolest prints UnReal Estate print Doyle has released so far in this popular series.

“Found Someone You Have” by Tim Doyle is a 20”x30” signed and numbered Star Wars screen print. The Standard Edition is a timed edition, meaning all orders placed between Black Friday and Cyber Monday are guaranteed a copy of this print with the print’s run size set by the number of pieces ordered in this window of time. Spoke Art has also released a Glow in the Dark Variant that is limited to 100 copies and retails for $60, and a Black and White Variant (print on cream paper) that is limited to just 40 copies and retails for $75. All three editions are currently available for purchase at the Spoke Art Gallery online store.

Saturday, November 28, 2015

If you love chrome Pop! vinyl figures as much as The Blot, then you will definitely want to get your hands on this super shiny new Hot Topic exclusive Chrome Edition Darth Vader Star Wars Pop! by Funko! This is a pretty killer look for the Dark Lord of the Sith, but I’m not sure we could watch 3 movies of him looking this metallic. Then again, no one would ever be able to hit him with a blaster or lightsaber on account of all the light reflecting from his armor.

The Hot Topic Exclusive Star Wars “Chrome” Darth Vader Pop! bobble head vinyl figure stands 3.75” tall, features one point of articulation and comes packaged in a full color displayable window box. It is available now at Hot Topic online store and all retail locations for $15.

GameStop has this wicked Avengers: Age of Ultron Black Widow Pop! Marvel variant figure in stock now at their webstore! Instead of Funko’s standard Natasha Romanoff Pop! that features her holding her signature batons, this version sees the Black Widow wielding Captain America’s iconic shield. In The Blot’s honest opinion, we can never get enough Black Widow figures and she looks so killer with Cap’s shield. This might be Funko’s best Black Widow figure yet!

The GameStop Exclusive Avengers: Age of Ultron Black Widow with Captain America’s Shield Pop! Marvel Vinyl Figure by Funko stands 3.75” tall, features one point of articulation and comes packaged in a full color displayable window box. It is available now at GameStop online store and all retail locations for $10.99 each.

Hot Topic has released some awesome retailer exclusive Marvel Pop! vinyl figures lately, including these fantastically creepy Carnage and Ant-Venom Pop! These Spider-Man villains are technically new colorways of Funko’s epic Venom Pop!, which makes sense since they’re both Venom symbiotes. How can you not want to add both evil doers to your Marvel Pop! collection!?!

Each Hot Topic Exclusive Marvel Carnage and Anti-Venom Pop! bobble head vinyl figure stands 3.75” tall, features one point of articulation and comes packaged in a full color displayable window box. They are now available at the Hot Topic online store and all retail locations for $12.50.

When Funko decided to get into the blind box game with their popular line of Pop! vinyl figures they weren’t messing around! Along with their new line of Hot Topic Exclusive Pop! Mystery Blind Box figures, Funko has also released these epic GameStop Exclusive Black Friday Funko Mystery Boxes containing one of six different Black Friday exclusives: DC Comics' Blackest Night Superman, Batman and Batgirl, Boarderlands' Claptrap and Fallout 4's Power Armor.

When Funko’s solicitation stated each box “has a 1 in 8 chance of containing a super-rare chase Golden Pop! vinyl figure”, The Blot wrongly assumed there was only one specific character being released as a Golden Pop! Never in my wildest dreams did I think Funko would be releasing all five figures as gold chases, but they did it! Good luck to all the completists out there trying to hunt down all 10 figures in this exciting GameStop mystery release.

On Black Friday, Hot Topic added a bit of mystery to Funko’s popular line of Pop! vinyl figures by releasing a new line of Pop! Mystery Blind Boxes!!! This is the first time ever full size production Pop! vinyl figures have been sold blind box style, and Funko is kicking things off with a wave of DC Comics figures.

Each Pop! Mystery blind box includes black and white versions of your favorite DC Comics characters Superman, The Joker and The Flash, plus one ultra-rare chase figure *SPOILER* Harley Quinn! And if you’re a collector who likes to keep their Pop! figures mint in box, don’t worry! There’s a full size Pop! box inside the mystery box.

Each Hot Topic Exclusive DC Comics Pop! Mystery Blind Box vinyl figure stands 3.75” tall, features one point of articulation and comes packaged in a full color displayable window box. They are now available at the Hot Topic online store and all retail locations for $12.50.

Yesterday, in honor of Black Friday, HealeyMade released a new batch of his amazing Star Wars Relics resin figures!!! These 2.5” cast epoxy Star Wars figures really look like old school relics recently uncovered in an ancient dig site by archaeologists. HealeyMade has created three Star Wars Relics figures in all inspired by the OG Skywalker clan: Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. Each Star Wars Relics Resin Figure retails for just $30 at the HealeyMade online store, and orders will be filled by random selection (unless you order 3 figures and then you’ll receive a full set).

Friday, November 27, 2015

F4D Studios has teamed up with artist Jesse Hernandez to release a killer new Urban Aztec Capsule Collection, which includes this fantastic Star Wars inspired “Urban Aztec Trooper” print! Killer, right!?! The Blot loves the way Jesse has redesigned the iconic Stormtrooper helmet.

“Urban Aztec Trooper” by Jesse Hernandez is a 12”x16” Star Wars print on high-quality exhibition watercolor textured paper. Collectors can purchase one now at the F4D Studios online store for $30.

To celebrate Black Friday 2015, artist Jason Edmiston and Super7 are teaming up to take us on a return trip to Eternia, the land of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe! Edmiston has painted this epic new officially licensed MOTU print set, which features the majestic Castle Grayskull and the sinister Snake Mountain. Each signed and numbered giclee print measures 12”x16” and comes printed on heavy, textured, acid-free paper using archival inks perfectly matched to the vibrant colors of the original acrylic paintings by Edmiston. Limited to just 100 sets, this Masters of the Universe Print Set goes on sale at noon PST today, Friday, November 27th, at the Super7 online store for $60 per set.

For the second year in a row Skybound is releasing a Skybound.com exclusive new The Walking Dead comic book action figure by McFarlane Toys on Black Friday! This year’s comic book inspired release is the leader of the Whisperers, the enigmatic and brutal Alpha! These mysterious survivors who disguise themselves with zombie skins to blend in with roamer herds first appeared in The Walking Dead issue #130. Since then, they have become a dangerous adversary of Rick Grimes and his merry band of survivors.

The Skybound Exclusive Alpha The Walking Dead Comic Book Action Figure is available now in two versions: Color and Bloody Black and White. Both Alpha figures include a machete, a shotgun, and an alternate head so you can pose her masked with walker skin or in all of her bald glory! Pick one of these awesome 4.5” action figures packaged in a full color blister card at The Walking Dead online store for $25.

F4D Studios has a ton of awesome releases scheduled for Black Friday 2015, including this beautiful new Star Wars print “Father Before Me” by Maxx242! Who knew Princess Leia would look so good in her father’s Darth Vader mask!?! Even better still this print will be a timed release available from now through Monday, November 30th, at 11:59pm PST. The print’s run size will be set by the number of orders placed during the window of availability.

The Black Friday Exclusive “Father Before Me” by Maxx242 is an 18”x24” signed and numbered Star Wars print on Epson high-quality exhibition watercolor textured paper. Pick one up from the F4D Studios online store now for $50!

Thursday, November 26, 2015

On Black Friday Gallery 1988 will be releasing its first Unmasked print, Batman Unmasked, by Alex Solis! This print’s release coincides with the exciting announcement that Gallery 1988 will be holding Alex’s upcoming Unmasked solo art show, already a viral hit on its own, in 2016.

Batman Unmasked by Alex Solis is a 10”x10” numbered giclee print. Limited to just 100 pieces, this print will drop at midnight on Friday, November 27th, at the Gallery 1988 online store for just $30.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the original motion picture soundtrack to Transformers: The Movie (the original 1986 animated film, not the 2007 Michael Bay crap), Record Store Day is releasing this beautiful collector's edition, double vinyl package including two etched, colored LPs in a Transforming gate fold jacket as part of their Black Friday celebration. LP1 will be red vinyl etched with the Autobot logo, while LP2 will be purple vinyl etched with the Decepticon logo.

What’s really amazing about this release is that the soundtrack’s gatefold jacket completely “transforms” all four sides from an Autobot themed jacket to a Decepticon themed jacket! This original 1986 cult classic, remastered and re-imagined, has never sounded or looked better. The Black Friday Exclusive Transformers Soundtrack 30th Anniversary 2xLP Soundtrack Album is limited to just 5,000 copies and can be purchased at participating Record Store Day indie music stores in the US

This January, FOX will be bringing back The X-Files, one of the network’s most beloved television series, as a 6 episode special event series with most of the show’s original cast! To commemorate The X-Files’ return, Diamond Select Toys is releasing this killer “Revival” The X-Files Minimates 2 Pack based on the show’s stars, David Duchovny (Fox Mulder) and Gillian Anderson (Dana Scully), looks in The X-Files reunion show. The “Revival” The X-Files Minimates 2 Pack includes Agent Mulder and Agent Scully.

Each The X-Files Reunion Show Minimates 2 Pack includes two 2” mini figures featuring 14 points of articulation and a variety of interchangeable parts and accessories (including guns, badge hands and display bases). While this set is not expected to hit store shelves until March 2016, you can pre-order it now from Entertainment Earth for $9.99 here.

Skelton Crew Studio just keeps on releasing adorable plushes based on the popular Image comic book series CHEW by John Layman and Rob Guillory!!! Ever wondered what you’d get if you mixed a Chog with a Skunk!?! Meet the stinking cute Chonk, a hybrid animal that’s part Skunk, Frog and Chicken. This officially licensed replica plush measures approximately 4” tall, is hand numbered, and limited to just 250 pieces. CHEW fans can pre-order their very own Chonk now at the Skelton Crew Studio online store for just $24.

If you’ve been loving the epic Walgreen’s exclusive Marvel Animated Universe Minimates Series recently released by Diamond Select Toys, then you need to head over to Toys R Us ASAP! That’s because Toys R Us has dropped its very own retailer exclusive Marvel Animated Universe Minimates Series based on the popular Ultimate Spider-Man television cartoon. The Toys R Us Exclusive Marvel Animated Universe Minimates Ultimate Spider-Man Series includes Spider-Man with Nick Fury, Nova with Carnage and Stealth Suit Spider-Man with Sandman.

Each Marvel Animated Universe Minimates Ultimate Spider-Man Series Set includes two 2” mini figures featuring 14 points of articulation and a variety of interchangeable character specific parts and accessories. Spider-Man comes with a web line, Nick Fury comes with a pistol, Nova comes with a hairpiece and flight stand, Sandman comes with shape-shifting hands, and Stealth Spider-Man comes with an alternate chest block!

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

It’s been awhile, but Medicom has finally released a fifth wave of their awesome Marvel Retro Sofubi Collection! Not only is The Blot a huge fan of this toy line and its retro style, but I’m constantly blown away by Medicom’s character selection. Instead of going with easy choices like Captain America or Black Widow, they’ve picked a number of fan favorites like Venom, Ghost Rider, The Vision and Rocket Raccoon. For its next wave of figures, Medicom is spotlighting Marvel’s Merc with a Mouth, Deadpool!

The first figure in Kidrobot’s new Looney Tunes Collection has officially been released, and it’s this killer Mark Dean Veca Tweety Bird vinyl figure! It is the perfect mash-up of pop art and pop culture as Mark Dean Veca reimagines Tweety in his signature oppositional-paradox style. While it will eventually be released in three colorways, the first to market is this striking Kidrobot.com Exclusive “Red” Tweety Bird.

Earlier this week Shepard Fairey unveiled his latest work, “Earth Crisis”! It’s a giant sphere suspended between the first and second floor of the Eiffel Tower in Power, and is a call to action to address the global environmental crisis. Visible from November 20th to 26th, it is a strong artistic gesture for Paris that will host the world conference on climate change COP21. To commemorate this beautiful piece of 3D artwork, Obey Giant is releasing a screen print inspired by “Earth Crisis” entitled “A Delicate Balance”.

“A Delicate Balance” by Shepard Fairey is an 18”x24” signed and numbered screen print on cream speckle tone paper. Limited to 500 pieces, this print will go on sale at 10am PST today, Tuesday, November 24th, at the Obey Giant online store for $60. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this print will benefit 350.org, a climate change charity organization.

This January, FOX will be bringing back The X-Files, one of the network’s most beloved television series, as a 6 episode special event series with most of the show’s original cast! To commemorate The X-Files’ return, Diamond Select Toys is releasing this killer “Classic” The X-Files Minimates Box Set based on characters (and their looks) from the show’s original run. The “Classic” The X-Files Minimates Box Set includes Agent Mulder, Agent Scully, Flukeman, and the Cigarette-Smoking Man with a removable trench coat.

Each The X-Files Classic Minimates Box Set includes four 2” mini figures featuring 14 points of articulation and a variety of interchangeable parts and accessories. While this 4 piece set is not expected to hit store shelves until June 2016, you can pre-order it now from Entertainment Earth for $24.99 here.

Monday, November 23, 2015

Ok, I don’t actually know that these amazing Marvel’s Jessica Jones one sheet television posters were designed by acclaimed artist David Mack, but whoever did it clearly was drawing inspiration (if not outright copied) Mack’s amazing run of covers for the Alias comic book series upon which this TV show is based. They’re fantastic right!?! Each poster focuses upon one of the show’s two central characters, hero Jessica Jones (aka Jewel) portrayed by Krysten Ritter and the evil Kilgrave the Purple Man portrayed by Doctor Who’s David Tennant. The Blot could seriously stare at these for days.

It has now been a full weekend since Jessica Jones started streaming Netflix and The Blot is dying to know what everyone thinks! I haven’t had an opportunity to watch it yet, but from all reports it’s a huge hit. It sounds like critics and fans alike are enjoying Jessica Jones even more than Netflix’s first Marvel show Daredevil. I just hope this isn’t the last we see of Tennant in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We’ve now see two different former Doctors play villains in the MCU, any guesses as to which former Doctor Who actor will show up next!?!